Michigan

Girl Scouts camp trumps disabilities for teen

Courtesy photoRaven, a senior ambassador with Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan, participating in an activity during a recent daycamp at GSHOMâs Program and Training Center in Kalamazoo.

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Angela Wanger enrolled her daughter, Raven, in a weeklong camp near the family’s hometown of Mason only to be told halfway through that she couldn’t come back.

The request was made because of Raven’s numerous physical disabilities, Wanger said.

“She couldn’t come back because another parent said she was embarrassed to have her child there with Raven,” Wanger said. “Needless to say, Raven did go back and she finished out the week.”

The search for an inclusive and non-judgmental camping experience lead mom and daughter two years ago to the Girl Scouts Heart of Michigan where Raven was able to attend resident camps at Camp Merrie Woode in Plainwell as well as daycamps at the organization’s Program and Training Center in Kalamazoo. More than three fourths of the space in the 27,000-square-foot building is used by girls and adult volunteers for programs, camps and meetings.

“It’s hard to find camps to take individuals with disabilities, especially with the amount that she has,” Wanger said of her daughter, “but the Girl Scouts have been great.”

Raven, who was born with cerebral palsy and has severe breathing problems, said attending the camps is worth the three hour roundtrip commute from her home in Mason to the Kalamazoo area.

“For her to drive 1 ½ hours everyday both ways shows how much she wants to be involved,” said Jenn “Patch” Cook, PATC Day Camp director.

With the help of her caregiver, Chantelle Gillette, Raven and her wheelchair are loaded into a van for the drive to a place where she is able to be “one of the girls.”

Being the only camper in a wheelchair is no big deal, she says.

“Some of the younger girls ask me why I’m in a wheelchair and I tell them I was born that way and that these are my wheels,” Raven said. “I feel like a role model because the other kids learn about my condition and see that I don’t let my disabilities stop me.”

About 49 percent of resident camps and 46 percent of day camps which belong to the American Camp Association offer specialized camps for individuals with health issues such as diabetes, autism and Downs Syndrome, said Theresa Walker,executive director of ACA’s Michigan Field Office. GSHOM’s eight camp properties are all ACA members.

“I’m not sure if the need for these types of camps is increasing,” Walker said. “It might be that more of these camps are available for kids with disabilities. A lot of these camps have been around for a long time.”

“Our organization has always been one of inclusiveness where all girls regardless of their individual circumstances will find a place unlike any other where they are encouraged to be themselves and try new things,” Barker said. “Our commitment is to each and every girl who chooses us to partner with on their journey to adulthood.”

Raven’s ties to Girl Scouts began when she was in fourth grade. Now a Senior Ambassador, she said she is looking forward to earning her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award given by the organization, and going to college.

“I like Girl Scouts because of what they do in their communities and for how they help out girls,” Raven said during lunch on a recent Thursday at the PATC where she was attending a weeklong CSI-themed camp.

Gillette said Raven has the will and the determination to participate as much as she can in activities which include playing outside, working on art projects and studying science.

“Being able to come here and be gathered with the girls is good for her,” Gillette said. “Most all the girls have taken to her and help her out pretty well.”

“There’s no hesitation. She makes friends right away,” Cook said. “She blazes in and becomes the center of attention on her own.”

This is due in large part to Raven’s no-holds-barred approach.

“She’s been on a horseback riding trip and kind of does it all,” Cook said. Our Girl Scout activities are for every girl and we do all we can to make that happen.”

Having access to these types of opportunities is vital to Raven’s continued growth and success, Wanger said.

“It means that she is growing as an individual and she is not looked upon as somebody different,” Wanger said.

Below is a list of the remaining summer camps which still have spaces available. Contact GSHOM at 800-497-2688 or logon to the website at www.gshom.org for more information.